A Wilmington design and construction firm that's celebrating 25 years in business has launched a new commercial division.

Chris Nesselroade, president of WB Brawley, said his company's milestone this year was a good time to put a renewed focus on local growth by starting a new division.

“Our core business is government contracts and we’ve built a very successful company by focusing on this niche for 25 years,” Nesselroade said, in a news release. “But diversification is essential to long-term success, so about six years ago, we launched a hospitality division and then three years ago, we launched a health care division. Our newest venture is the launch of a commercial division that focuses on projects in the local and southeastern North Carolina markets.”

To lead the division, Nesselroade recently hired Brian Millen (shown below), a Wilmington resident and veteran of the commercial interiors industry with more than 25 years of experience in sales and management in interior design, space planning and furniture, fixtures and equipment (FFE), the release said. Nesselroade also hired Millen's wife, Heather, a commercial interior designer with more than 15 years’ experience in design, facilities planning, FFE and procurement and installation.

The Millens have worked in the Wilmington area since 2006, when they launched Commercial Interiors, a furniture dealership and commercial interiors business with extensive experience in health care, education, government and private industry. The couple built Commerical Interiors to $3.5 million in annual sales, and among their clients were Bald Head Island Limited, Cape Fear Public Utility Authority, PPD, nCino, Wilmington Health Associates, Hilton Hotels and Vertex Rail.

“Brian and Heather have built an excellent network and interior design brand in the Greater Wilmington business community over the past 10 years,” Nesselroade said in the release. “We’re confident that their leadership and reputation will give our new commercial division a tremendous foundation for success and we look forward to having a more active and visible presence in our local community.”

Brian Millen said he and his wife "are both very proud to be a part of the team and look forward to taking the company to the next level in its growth both locally and regionally.”

WB Brawley was founded by Bruce Brawley in 1992. Nesselroade joined the firm in August 1996 after graduating from UNCW with a degree in criminal justice. Brawley and Nesselroade grew the firm through the procurement of federal contracts, with a specific focus on the Department of Defense, the release said. Typical projects involved the renovation of existing facilities, such as hotels, fitness centers and recreation centers owned and operated by all branches of the military.

In 2014, Bruce Brawley retired from WB Brawley and Nesselroade purchased the firm, in partnership with Steve Ezzel, CFO, and Kim Williamson, COO, according to the release. The three are co-owners, with Nesselroade as majority stockholder and president. 

With headquarters at 102 Eastwood Road, WB Brawley is a full-service general contractor, Nesselroade said, doing business in 27 states and seven countries across the globe. The firm employees 17 people at its Wilmington office and an additional seven people at its satellite offices in Nashville, Tennessee, and Sumter, South Carolina.